Me with Apo Whang-od and Buscalan

Apo Whang-od is a Filipina (from the Butbut tribe of Kalinga ethnic group) tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines (up north).

Traditionally, the tattoos she gives are only for the warriors that earn it through protecting the village or killing enemies, she's been doing that since she was 15. But those things do not exist anymore so as of the moment, she tattoos tourists visiting Buscalan.

The art of her tattooing is called Batok, and she is considered as the last or oldest mambabatok in the Philippines.

The photo above was taken when I went to Buscalan around 3 years ago. I got a tattoo from her as well. It was a very long and tiring journey but I can say that it was all worth it since I received this tattoo from a legend, even meeting her was a privilege for people.

Apo is not the only one being visited by lots of tourists from the Philippines and all around the world, the view in Buscalan is a wonderful sight too.

More info about Apo Whang-od here: Wikipedia.